Bumper



Jan. 11,1927. I 1,614,087

. s. H. SHAW BUMPER Original Filed July 13. 1922 I 2 Sheetg-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR Samuel Jhaw M ATTORNEY 1,614,087 S. H. SHAW Jan. 11,1927.

BUMPER Original Filed July 13. 1922 2 Sheets-Shout? INVENTOR Samuel /1 Shaw 7% BY m ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES,

1 1,614,087 PATENT, OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. SHAW. on NEW YORK, N. Y ASSIGNOR T0 UNIVERSAL snoox ELIMINA- TOR, INC., on LONG ISLAND cIrY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

BUMPER.

Original application filed July 13, 1922, Serial No. 574,638. Divided and this application filed August 28,

o This invention relates to bumpers, socalled, such as are used on motor cars to receive the shock of impact with other cars or obstacles on the road. This invention relates to such articles which are sometimes called impact bars, and'more particularly to the type known as springbar" or fiat spring bar bumpers, in which the impact shock is absorbed by the resiliency of the bumper as distinguished from the types having a rigid bar with a coilspring or similar attaching device to absorb the shock of impact solely in the attaching means or junction of the device with a rigid part of the vehicle.

More particularly this invention relates to improved features of construction of the resilient or impact fiat spring bar having for its objects economy in production, durability, lightening of construction, increased strength, and other features the advantages of which will appear'from the moredetailed specification. Also a particular feature inci- I I dent to the practice of my invention is the prevention of slipping of the flat, spring bar forming the outer impact member, so as to assure a direct reaction on yielding parts of the bumper by having the impact surface held against up or down slipping on the object with which it contacts.

' While the construction embodying my invention realizes several or all of the ob ects set forth, a particular embodiment hereinafter specifically described, includes a resilient front impact bar. which on its outer vertical face has a profile comprising a plurality of longitudinal flat faced bands or ridges which are slightly offsetfrom the general vertical planeof the intervening sur faces between the bands, Such deformation of the outer vertical surfaceof the spring bar permits a corresponding deformation of the rear surface of the bar, with a resultant equal strength against horizontal impact, with less weight of bar than if made of 7 plain stock with two parallel flat sides, but

in addition it provides hands or borders on the impact face presenting only a small fraction of the total surface of that face that need be ground and polished, and as is usual in the finish of this class of product, the surface. which is nickel-plated, is very materially reduced in area, thus providing a substantial economy in'various operations n1en- Serial No. 130,811,

tioned in manufacture. As this type of bumper is used on the front of automobiles, and also on the rear, they are constantly exposed to the elements and also exposed to rough usage by impact and scraping on objects, so that minimizing the amount of surface subjected to a fine polish, my construction has many advantages in durability and retaining its appearance in spite of its regular usage, with the obvious economy.

As these bumpers extend either forward or to the rear beyond the other parts of the vehicle, for the object of shielding other parts of the vehicle against accidental impact, the overhanging weight of the bumper subjects the means of attachment to considerable vertical strain, so that any reduction in weight, without sacrificing the stiffness against impact or without sacrificing resiliency to absorb impact,relieves the other parts of the vehicle as well as the means of attachment, in direct proportion to the saving in weight of the impact bar.

lVhile various modifications may be madein the practice of my inventlon, and parapproximately in the same plane and are slightly offset from the impact surface intervening between said bands. The impact surface area intervening'or intermediate the bands may be in a common plane or may be convex or concave, but is slightly offset at its junction with the surface of the bands, with the difference in position only a small fraction of the total thickness of the bumper bar. l/Vhile many variations may be made in the commercial production of bumpers involving this invention, this divisional application is addressed to constructions in which the bumper bar is rolled or otherwise fabricated so that the finished article with its impact face bands is substantially of uniform thickness from top to bottom of the bar, except'for any slight curvature of corners or adjustments for the accommodabumper containing the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, showing the end of a bumper when its attachment to the vehicle comprises a reverse bend in the bar proper for securing to the frame or sill horn.

ig. 3 is a vertical cross-section showing one form of bumper bar with a rear bar and clamping connection.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a short section of a spring ar member of the bumper.

Fig. 5 is a pers iiective view of a short section of a spring bar member of the bumper.

with modified form of the offset intervening space between the finished hands.

Fig. 6 isa perspective view of a short section of a spring bar member of the bumper with modified form of the ofiset intervening space between the finished bands.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a short ection of spring bar member of the bump or with modified form of the offset intervening space between the finished bands.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a short section of a spring bar member of the bumper having more than two finished surface bands on the impact face.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section of two spring bar members as they would engage each other in collision, indicating in dotted lines alternate positions of engagement, and for the purposes of illustrating the inclining of the bandsurfaces which give greater assurance of the impact faces of juxtaposed bars sliding into positive engagement.

The spring bar 1 constitutes the main or impact engaging member of the bumper, with the impact face 2. On this impact face a plurality of bands, as stripes distinct from the rest of the area of the impact surface, extend longitudinally of the impact face 2 of the bar 1. These bands are preferably in the same vertical plane, or in any event are substantially flat and generally in a plane slightly offset from the balance of the impact surface on the profile of the bumper bar. The bands are finished and outstanding in comparison with the rest of the front surface of the lmpact bar, which may be of a dull finish in contrast, and may be slightly depressed or ofiset from the bands to an extent of a small fraction of the thickness of the bar.

In Fig. 2 is shown a rearwardly extending, backwardly return-bent (as indicated by the shading) end or leg 7 of the bar adapted to be secured to the attaching bracket on the front end or the horn of the sill.

ward

Bands 3 and i are preferably adjacent the top and bottom edge of the front impact surface of the bar, and between them an im pact area 5 is slightly offset from the common plane of bands 3 and l. As shown in Fig. the rear of the bar is ofiset so as to leave the thickness of the bar from top to bottom substantially uniform.

In Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, there are shown modifications which may be readily formed in the ordinary process of rolling strip steel or flat bars of uniform thickness into spring bar bumpers with profiles for impact surface in accordance with my invention. In these 5 is convex although it joins the bands 3 and a with an offset providing for the practice of my invention. 5 is forwardly concave providing rear convex profile 6 which extends the depth or total transverse sectional extent, thereby adding to the stifiness of the bar. In Fig. '7 the double-curve crosssection provides a stiffening corrugation 5, while the two cheeks 6"6 on the rear accommodate the displacementin rolling the recesses on the front, and assure astiffening, while at the same time providing the finished article with a substantially uniform thickness and capable of being rolled from an original uniform thickness bar.

In Fig. 8 there is a central contact face 8, which is preferably in substantially the same general plane as the bands 3 and a, and this provides more than two front im pact finished bars with intervening areas that may be unfinished in any manner as hereinafter described.

In Fig. 9, {t -3 are bands which extend longitudinally of the bar impact/profile, but are slightly inclined, flat or otherwise, to-

the intervening slightly-depressed area along the middle portion of the bar. These inwardly inclined band surfaces assure interengaging bars on two cars to slide into more positive engagement.

The main impact or engagement portion of the spring bar of the bumper, that is the profile 2, is formed with the plurality of bands or stripes running lengthwise, that is transverse to the vehicle, for the various purposes and advantages that will now be more specifically set forth. This front surface profile generally of a banded or channel form may be produced by milling flat bar stock, leaving the back surface of the bar plain, or may be formed by rolling the bar, or any other suitable fabricating method. VJhen provided with the intermediate surface, between the bands, very slightly offset from the plane of the bands, the more than two bands include one above and one below with intermediate bands preferably all in the same plane, and each much broader than the distance that their plane is offset the intermediate depressed surface.

This formation of the impact profile of the spring bar provides an area for polishing which is only a fraction of the total surface that would otherwise have to be polished in order to nickel-plate or otherwise uniformly fin'ish the front face of the bar, as in the manner heretofore prevalent.

Having the limited band or striped surfaces in the same plane, the grinding which is an initial "operation to prepare the surface for nickel-plating, means that only a small fraction of area requires grinding compared with what was heretofore required for perfectly plain front bars. In addition the intervening depressed surface between. the bands, constituting a major portion of the front of the spring bar, lends itself most advantageously to any anti-rusting treatment or to finishing as by enamel in any colors. The grinding andfinishing of the bands also assures a uniform demarcation between the finish on the bands and the intermediate surface, thereby permitting facility and cheapness of finish with uniformity in the completed article.

By the formation of the ofi'set bands, to the limit of extent shown and described, the resiliency of the spring bar is not impaired, but stiffness and resistance to indentation or twisting and bending are increased, while at the same time this relatively greater stiffness results with all the desired flexibility, as compared with a heavier bar having a plain front. The relatively protruding bands constitute a protection for the finish such as enameling applied to the intermediate surfaces, so that in their use substantial advantage in durability of appearance and otherwise, is a practical result in addition to the relative lightness and greater resiliency, as well as strengthening, weightfor-weight .as compared with a plain sur face bar.

In operation, when used on an automobile, the impact of this improved bumper involves an engagement with any part of another vehicle withthe advantage of holding its contact upon impact instead of a tendency to slip up or down, which latter occurs with a plain surface. When such bumper engages the rear bumper of another car of similar profile, or having longitudinally banded contact surface, the engaging bands register with the respective depressed surfaces of the other bumper, thus preventing any tendency to force one of the bumpers up, and consequently minimizing the vertical strain transmitted to the brackets or clamps which secure the bumpers to the relatively rigid parts of the vehicle. This characteristic insures the transmission of the impact more unformly in a direct line and horizontally to the mass of the vehicle through the rigid parts of the structure best adapted to meetthe shock from collision. Also, preventing the slipping contact of engaging bumpers minimizes the chance 1 to what may be generally referred. to as a channel section profile, involves in reality only a very slight depression, that is, a surface-profiling in the direction'of the length of the bar. The offsetting of the edges, or the longitudinal portions forming the pro t'ruding strips or bands of the impact face, is not such as to constitute a ridge flange that would prevent resiliency. In the preferred form they provide borders or bands of sufiicient width for stiffness and for the purpose of accommodating the grinding and the polishing without having the tools therefor interfere with the intermediate Surface.

As shown in the drawings, the exact form of the impact surface adjacent to or between neighboring longitudinal bands may vary, such as illustrated in Figs. 4 to 8. Likewise the bands of substantial width compared with the distance they are offset from the neighboring surface, may have their edges slightly rounded so that the surface isnot exactly flat but is wide compared with the amount of offset which may be extremely small or of a width constituting a substantial portion of the total width of the impact face, and not in the nature of a sharp ridge; or one margin of a band, or both,

may be sharp, or the face of one or more bands may be slightly inclined, as shown in Fig. 9. All of this lends itself admirably to the rolling of a flat bar to produce the necessary offsets and With a symmetrical rear side profile, thus leaving the finished product of substantially uniform thickness, but being stronger than the original flat bar on account of the resultant increase in depth or maximum thickness between the foremost surfaces on the impact face and the rearmostsurfaces of the back.

While various modifications may be made from what is herein shown and specifically described, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure'by Letters Patent is:

1. A spring bar bumper consisting of a flat bar of uniform'thickness formed to a section of uniform thickness, having a front impact face with a plurality of longitudinal flat faced ridges projecting slightly beyond the intervening surface.

2. A spring impact bar for automobile bumpers, comprising aflat bar of uniform thickness, edge sections of said bar being bodily oflset, whereby on one side slightly protruding fiat parallel border surfaces are produced and an intermediate relatively slightly depressed impact face, the rear survface areas arsmall fractioniof the thickness face profile or said bar being parallel to the of the bar, and having the back side of (the contiguous impact surface of protruding, bar of a profile approximating the impact bands and intermediate face. side profile forming a :bar of substantially 5 A spring impact bar for automobiles uniiormthickness. 1

having a front impact face with plurality In testimony whereof, I have signed my of longitudinal finished strips of a width agname to this application, this 12 day of gregating more than a quarter of the Width August, 1926. of st-lle impact face of the bar and generally 10 in-a plane offset from the adjacent impact $A'MUEL H. SHAW. 

